Bakugou made his way over to his apartment and slowly slid the door shut. He firmly pressed his fist against the cool glass as he glared at his reflection. "Pull yourself together you damn idiot," he grumbled at himself as he clenched his fist tighter in irritation. With a frustrated sigh he turned and marched to his room. He hurriedly walked over to his dresser and yanked a pair of shorts out of one of the drawers; unwrapped the blanket from around his hips and tossed it on the floor before pulling them on. Tramping to his bed he sat down and dropped his head in his hands and ran them through his hair, scratching his already spikey locks. With a troubled sigh he sat back up, looked at his hands and flexed his fingers enjoying the feeling of having his human body back. Moving off the bed he pulled back the covers and climbed in to go to sleep. With his hands folded behind his head, he lay back on his pillow and closed his eyes. The image of Kia standing there with a blush on her face flitted through his thoughts. She had looked so good in that Ground Zero t-shirt. "What the hell is wrong with me?" he asked himself out loud as he rolled over and tried to go to sleep.
The next morning Bakugou groggily opened his eyes as he reached to turn off his blaring alarm clock. Then he sat up on the edge of his bed and looked himself over, happy to see that he was indeed back to his non-furry self. He stood up and stretched his arms over his head before getting ready for the day. The dreams he had replayed over in his mind caused him to shake his head in an attempt to rid his mind of the troublesome fantasies as he quickly got dressed. Once done, he rushed out of his room and headed for the balcony. As he walked through the sliding door, the smell of the breakfast Kia had cooked made his stomach growl. As he made his way to the counter, he was pleased to see steam rising from the coffee cup she kept for him.
"Hey, you ready or what?" he called out as he picked up the cup and took a cautious sip. Kia walked out of her room, her hair hanging over one shoulder as she finished tying it in a braid. When she saw him, she paused, flashing him a small smile as she wrapped a band around the end of the braid. Bakugou froze when she then stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.
"Thank God," she sighed into his chest.
"What the hell, Sunshine?!" he snapped; his coffee held high in one hand as the other twitched unsure of what to do.
"It's nice to have you back on two feet," Kia laughed as she released him and stepped back behind the counter to grab the breakfast she had made. "Although I have to admit you were an adorable dog," she teased.
"Go to hell," Bakugou sulked as he took a blistering swig of his coffee.
%%%%%
As soon as they arrived at the agency, they immediately got their hero costumes on and headed to Jeanist's office. When they arrived, they found the fiber hero and his assistant hard at work.
"I see you have changed back. Congratulations!" Jeanist said as he looked up from his computer.
"Aww! I kind of liked doggy Ground Zero," Nina pouted as she shuffled some files and put them away in a cabinet.
Bakugou glared at the assistant before flopping down into one of the chairs in front of Jeanist's desk. "That makes one of us. Have you gotten any news about the drugging cases?"
"Hold on!" Nina interrupted, closing the cabinet, "Just how did you change back?" she demanded as she walked over to the desk and fixed him with a stern look, hands on her hips. "Don't think you can get away without telling me, I want to know!"
"It wore off." "She kissed me." Kia and Bakugou answered at the same time.
There were a few seconds of silence before Nina blinked and blurted out. "Wait…WHAT?!" She slammed her hands down on the desk in front of her.
Even Jeanist looked alarmed as he studied the two heroes. "So, which was it?"
"She kissed me, and I turned back into a human," Bakugou crossed his arms over his chest as he sat back in the chair trying to act nonchalant.
"Woah, woah, wait, wait, wait, that is not what happened!" Kia waved her hands in denial as she shot her partner a scowl.
"Then what did happen?!" Nina urged as she leaned toward Kia, eager to get information.
"All I did was give him a peck on the nose because he was acting all sweet. I do the same thing to my dog back home." Kia rolled her eyes as she sat down in the other chair.
"So, you did kiss him?!" Nina asked giddily.
"No, I kissed a dog," Kia argued.
"It was still me," Bakugou growled as he and Kia glared at each other.
Jeanist noted the slight blush on both of their cheeks. "Then it was a kiss that turned him back," he stated.
"OH MY GOD, you kissed him!" Nina squealed as she did a happy dance.
"No, I kissed a dog," Kia reiterated.
"Still me," Bakugou interjected, and Kia flashed him a scowl again.
"It's like a fairy tale!" Nina gasped.
"Except instead of a prince he turned into an ass," Kia snorted as she looked away from her partner.
"Which ass are you talking about?" Bakugou smirked and Kia's face flushed red.
"What does he mean by that?" Nina asked wide-eyed.
"NOTHING! All that matters is B is back to normal. Can we please get back to work?" Kia asked exasperatedly.
"Yes, I believe we should," Jeanist said. Nina began to pout but Bakugou continued grinning at his partner. "I have been gathering as much information as I can on our current cases. It seems that the most information the police have been able to find is what you two were able to uncover yesterday." Jeanist folded his hands in front of his face, his eyes serious as he looked to Kia. "Have you heard anything back from your contact at the HTSA?"
"Not yet," Kia replied. "Derek said it would take him a little while to gather all the information. He has a team going through all their case files to help find similarities."
"Any idea when they will be able to get the information?" Jeanist raised a questioning brow.
"He hoped by the end of today."
"Alright, and you already sent him all the information we have?"
"Yes," Kia nodded.
"What about the other agencies and police stations?" Bakugou interrupted, his arms crossed across his chest as he leaned back in his chair.
"There is a task force that is compiling all the information gathered around the city and surrounding areas." Jeanist explained. "They are monitoring the situation closely and if there is any sign of another attack or any more information it is distributed as soon as possible. For now, unfortunately, it is just a waiting game."
"What can we do in the meantime?" Kia asked.
"For now, just continue your patrols as normal. I will call you if I hear anything near your district. We have many teams working on this. It is going to take a lot of teamwork to stop these villains, but we can't forget the everyday crime." Jeanist said.
Kia and Bakugou both nodded in agreement.
"Sir, there was some new information that crossed your desk this morning," Nina handed him a printout. "It's information about the kidnappings from a while back. There have been a couple more cases that I think you should look at."
"More cases?" Kia asked worriedly, moving over next to Jeanist's desk.
"They don't know if it is connected to the same people that you saved a while back, but they asked that we take a look," Nina informed her.
Jeanist skimmed over the papers before handing them over to Kia. "Wildside, I trust that you will look into this when you have time. Maybe call your contact with the HTSA again."
"I will get right on it, sir," Kia nodded as she took the papers from him.
"I know there has been a lot going on lately and I've asked you to take on a lot of difficult cases." Jeanist furrowed his brow.
"It's alright sir, besides this is part of why I came to Japan." Kia smiled as she held the papers up.
"I have faith in the both of you," Jeanist nodded to each of them in turn.
"Let's get to work Sunshine," Bakugou said as he stood up and headed for the door. Kia turned and followed her partner out into the hall.
"O.M.G!" Nina squealed after the door clicked shut and the pro rolled his eyes at her. "She kissed him!"
"I think you may be getting ahead of yourself," Jeanist warned as he turned back to his computer.
"Oh, I think not! I told you something was going to happen between those two!" Nina declared as she started pacing back and forth across the office. "You need to trust me I have a sixth sense about these things and I'm going to prove it!" The assistant clenched her fists with her resolve.
"What are you scheming?" Jeanist gave the woman a suspicious look. "You're planning on using your quirk on them, aren't you?"
Nina gave him a mischievous grin. "You'll see."
%%%%%
Back at their office Bakugou and Kia immediately busied themselves with checking and filing the new reports they had received from Jeanist. Bakugou was happy that he didn't have to depend on Kia to run his computer for him. He looked over at his purple haired partner who was currently on the phone. She had decided to call her contacts at the HTSA and fill him in on the new information they had. Bakugou was setting up communications with the other agencies involved in the cases so they could be notified of any new information or incidents.
"Oui, je peux l'envoyer tout de suite," Kia said to the person on the other line. Bakugou found it odd when she spoke a different language. He had gotten so used to her conversing with him that it was always a surprise to hear it. He turned his focus back to his task. A few minutes later Kia finished her call. With a sigh she returned to her computer and continued working. Bakugou glanced up when she moved to her computer but quickly continued with what he was working on. His short stint as a dog had him behind on paperwork even though Kia had done much of it for him.
After about an hour Kia leaned back in her chair and let out a shout of frustration.
"What the hell was that for you idiot!" Bakugou snapped, started by the sudden break in the silence.
"I can't take it anymore; I've been wracking my brain so hard that I'm going in circles. The evidence is just lacking." Kia fisted her hands over her head in frustration. "I need to take a break and get my blood moving. What would you say if we go out on patrol; clear our heads?" She looked up at her partner.
"Sounds good to me Sunshine, I'm itching to blast something," Bakugou grinned as he got up and turned off his computer. Kia returned his grin as they headed out the door and down to the garage so he could get his bike.
As soon as the garage door opened Kia spread her wings and took to the air while Bakugou revved the engine on his bike and hit the streets. They had talked about the routes they were going to take on their way down. He glanced overhead as Kia flew above him. The colors of her wings were flashing in the sunlight. Several people on the street stopped and looked up pointing at the dragon hero as she passed.
"Tch, you got to be a damn show off?" Bakugou growled over their radios.
"Just feeling the wind in my wings," Kia laughed as she made another pass overhead. This time she spun as she passed, eliciting sounds of excitement from the people.
"Still showing the hell off," Bakugou smirked as he accelerated through the traffic.
"Like you aren't getting any attention," Kia cooed in a sarcastic tone.
Sure enough, Bakugou could see the stares and pointing of passersby in the corner of his vision. Gunning his bike so the back tire squealed, he popped it into a wheelie unable to resist putting on a show.
"Pot and kettle, Mr. Show off," Kia cackled as she banked a corner. Bakugou raced after her through the traffic.
Kia soared high into the sky, taking a bird's eye view of the streets. It wasn't long before a high-pitched call for help drew Kia's attention to the streets. A couple of young women were waving at her as they pointed to two figures running off down the street.
"Looks like a couple of purse snatchers," Kia radioed as she dived.
"Where?" Bakugou's low voice demanded over the radio.
"Three blocks ahead of you. One for each of us." Bakugou could hear the chuckle in Kia's tone as he accelerated through the cars. He had only gone two blocks when a car pulled out in front of him. Hitting the emergency stop on his bike, he launched himself into the air above the car, his bike coming to an automatic stop on its own, before blasting his way towards the criminals. Now he could see the villains as he rocketed towards them. Kia was just sweeping low arm out to grab on of them by the collar of his shirt. With a controlled blast Bakugou propelled himself through the air, flipping around to land feet first in the back of the second villain. The man hit the ground as his partner shouted at suddenly being lifted off his feet. With a strong flap of her wings, Kia launched herself and the criminal into the air. The man screeched when he found himself twenty plus feet high up.
"Let me go!" the man yelled.
"If you say so," Kia shrugged as she let go.
"WAIT!" the man yelped as he began to fall. He closed his eyes as the air rushed around him, waiting for the hard landing. As he thumped to a stop, he was surprised that the landing was not as hard as he expected. In fact, it barely hurt at all. He opened his eyes and came face to face with an incredibly angry looking hero.
"You dropped something," Bakugou growled at Kia as he dropped the villain and grabbed him by the back of the shirt.
"He told me to," Kia said as she landed next to her partner. "Is that guy ok?" she asked pointing to the villain under Bakugou's feet.
"He'll be fine," Bakugou grunted as he handed Kia the villain he had caught, who was still blinking in disbelief at his current situation.
Kia pulled out a pair of cuffs and cuffed the villain after taking the purse he had clutched against his chest. Bakugou was gathering the bags his villain had dropped when a couple of police officers pushed their way through the crowd followed by the women who had called out for help. The two police officers pulled the villain from the ground and cuffed him as the women collected their things from the two heroes.
"Ground Zero, Wildside, thank you so much!" one of the women gushed as she took her purse from Kia.
"Happy to help," Kia smiled in return.
They gratefully bowed to Bakugou as he handed them their bags. "Yeah, here's your crap," Bakugou sighed as the two thanked him.
Another officer showed up to take the villain Kia was holding and give her the info for their station.
"Alright!" Kia rubbed her hands together as she turned to her partner. "Let's keep going!" She spread her wings and leapt into the air, followed by Bakugou, who sent himself air born with a blast. After collecting his bike, they headed down the street to their destination and Bakugou stowed his ride before joining up with Kia on one of the tallest buildings. They had decided to survey the surrounding areas and use the tall building as the center point.
They spent the rest of the day doing everything from saving a little kid running into the street to stopping muggers and the like. Most of it was small crime except when a couple of power types got into a fight. As they headed back to the agency, Bakugou looked up at his partner flying overhead. She had been looking tense lately and now she seemed much more relaxed.
Bakugou pulled his bike into the agency's garage as Kia landed outside. He pulled his helmet off and looked back as Kia ruffled her feathers, brushing her fingers over them as she walked inside. Bakugou put away his helmet before walking back and giving his bike a once over.
"How does it look?" Kia asked as she walked up behind him.
"Tch, good enough. Something wrong with your wings?" he inquired as he stood up and turned around, eyeing the wings at her back.
"No, they are fine, could use a good dust bath," Kia answered as she lifted her wings and spread them slightly. "It's nice to just smooth my feathers after a flight."
Bakugou reached out a hand and caressed the soft vanes. "You always have them tucked away, why not just leave them out?"
"Uh…" Kia gazed at her partner in surprise. She smiled as she brought her wing up and ruffled his hair. "It is much more comfortable for me to have them out, but they don't really fit in most places." Kia spread her wings out. "That and people always seem to want to touch them all the time. Think of it like if someone is always wanting to walk up and touch your hair or hand all the time."
Bakugou hummed in acknowledgement. She did seem to have her wings out a lot when he came over to her house, but she always seemed to put them away whenever he showed up. He reached out to touch them again but hesitated before pulling away from her feathers.
"I don't mind when you touch them," Kia mumbled.
"What was that?" Bakugou asked, barely catching her words.
"Nothing. Let's head to the office. All that paperwork and those files aren't going to read themselves." Kia stretched her arms over her head as she retracted her wings, tucking them under her costume as she headed towards the door. Bakugou let her diversion slide as he followed her out of the garage.
Once they got back to their office they buckled down on their work, starting with completing the new paperwork from their activities that day before pouring back through the files they had been reading prior. A couple of hours later, Bakugou looked across the room at his partner, who was currently on the phone. They both had been talking with other agencies and police officers about the cases, sharing and gaining all the info they could but they had made only a little headway.
Shutting his computer off, Bakugou stood up and walked over to Kia's desk. She ended the call just as he leaned over her desk.
"Come on, Sunshine, let's go."
"What, where?" Kia looked up at him, concerned. "We haven't made any progress yet."
"I'm hungry, let's go eat. My treat," Bakugou said over his shoulder as he headed for the door.
"You're buying? Heck yeah!" Kia cheered as she shut down her computer and followed behind him.
After changing into street clothes, the two of them boarded a bus.
"So where are we going?" Kia asked as she took a seat next to her grumpy partner.
"There is a good restaurant downtown. It will take a little while to get there," Bakugou said as he placed his ear buds in his ears. Kia adjusted her seat and relaxed as she pulled out her own phone. Bakugou closed his eyes and leaned his head against the seat. Cracking one eye open, he noticed Kia putting her phone on airplane mode and putting it back in her pocket. Taking out one of the ear buds Bakugou held it out to her, earning a smile from the dragon hero.
As the bus continued its route, it began to fill with every stop. Soon things were starting to get crowded. The bus came to a halt and an old woman and her grandchild boarded. All the seats were full as they made their way towards the back. Bakugou and Kia both stood up at the same time to give the old lady and kid their seats.
"Such a nice young couple, thank you," the old lady smiled as she took the seat.
"Thanks, but we aren't a couple," Kia inclined her head as she grabbed the bar in the middle of the isle. Bakugou stood next to her, his hand grasping the bar just above Kia's as the bus took off again. At the next stop some passengers moved down the aisle to exit the bus and Kia had to step closer to Bakugou to let them pass. She was so close, Bakugou's heart acted up as he gazed down at her. The bus lurched forward and Kia bumped into his chest. Reflexively, Bakugou caught her.
"Dang it, sorry," Kia muttered as she caught herself on his chest and looked up at him.
Bakugou's arm tightened around her as he uttered a soft "tch," in response. His hand slid down the bar until their fingers touched. A soft giggle brought them both out of their trance as the old woman and her grandchild grinned up at the two of them. Kia took a quick step back and Bakugou's arm fell from around her. They stood there in silence. Kia was suddenly interested in the view outside the window but Bakugou continued to look at her as thoughts whirled around inside his head.
The bus slowed to a stop. "We're here," Bakugou said as he made his way down the aisle. Once they were off the bus, he immediately headed towards the restaurant with Kia following alongside him. She was quieter than usual and Bakugou found himself glancing over at her. Kia might have been walking beside him, but it was obvious that her mind was somewhere else.
"Hey, Sunshine," Bakugou interrupted Kia's thoughts. "It's this place." He gestured before opening the door of a small restaurant and walking inside.
Kia took a deep breath and slightly shook her head then followed him inside. "You have a knack for finding quiet places to eat," she mentioned as she looked around the place. "I hope the food is as good as the last place."
"I like to eat without any morons bugging me," Bakugou replied as he sat down at the counter.
Kia huffed with amusement as she took the chair next to him. It wasn't long before a young girl came out to take their order. They quickly decided and the young girl hurried off to get them something to drink.
Once again, Kia fell quiet as she focused on the counter in front of her. Her head was propped in one hand while the other played with the feather hanging from her neck. It had been a while since Bakugou had seen her mess with it.
"You play with that thing when you're frustrated, don't you?" Bakugou mused.
"Huh?" Kia paused as she turned to look at him. Bakugou pointed to the feather between her fingers and Kia looked down.
"Oh… yeah," She turned the feather over and held it up. "Just a habit, I guess. When I first came back home it was kind of like a coping mechanism." Kia rolled her eyes and snorted. "Who am I kidding? I held onto this like a baby with a blanket."
"So, I'm right," Bakugou smirked at her.
"Yeah, whatever, you just love hearing people say that you're right." She gave him an amused look before focusing back on the feather.
Bakugou picked up her glass and knocked it against her fingers. "Tch, quit stressing and just focus on eating."
"That why you brought me out to eat?" Kia eyed him suspiciously.
"Tch, I was sick and tired of being in that office. That and I'm fucking starving." Bakugou sat up as the waitress brought over their plates. He grabbed his and immediately started digging in. Kia smiled softly and tucked the feather back down her shirt before eating her own food.
They sat there in easy silence as they ate. The first bite immediately pushed all thoughts out of Kia's head as the flavors washed over her tongue. It always impressed her how Bakugou knew so many places with amazing food. She glanced up at her partner who was eating his food as actively as she was. How was it he knew just a delicious meal like this would put her at ease? They had been working a lot lately and now their desks seem to be filled with even more paperwork, all of which seemed to be going nowhere. He could try and act cold and uncaring, but Kia began to understand more and more of the tsundere kindness of the man beside her.
They finished their meal in silence and paid before heading back to the bus stop. It was later in the evening and the bus was a lot emptier than the first time they rode it. Kia relaxed into her seat and let her thoughts wander. She closed her eyes as she mulled over everything.
Bakugou was absentmindedly scrolling through his social media, answering messages and liking a couple of photos the Eijiro has posted. He glanced over at his partner to see if she had fallen asleep, but it seemed that she was just deep in thought. He nudged her with his shoulder and held out an ear bud for her again. Kia smiled as she accepted, and they listened to music for the rest of the bus ride.
Once off the bus, they headed towards their apartments. Kia had remained silent the whole time, which for some reason bothered Bakugou. "You are thinking about something pretty damn hard," he said as they walked.
"Sorry, I just can't get these cases out of my head," Kia sighed as they stopped to wait at a cross walk.
"Why?" Bakugou asked.
"They… I feel like it can't just be a coincidence that they resemble my past. It's like an echo in the back of my mind." Kia crossed her arms almost like she was trying to protect herself. "What if it is?"
Bakugou knew she didn't want to be pressed about her past. Someone else might think that Kia might be scared at facing her kidnappers again but the look on her face showed determination. "What if it is?" he echoed causing her to look up at him.
"We will stop them," Kia said with confidence as the light signaled for them to cross.
"Maybe I could help, but you are going to have to tell me more," Bakugou said as they continued home. Kia was silent as they walked up to the front of their building. Together they rode the elevator to their floor and made their way down the hall.
"You're right," Kia said as they reached their doors. "I'm going to have to share what happened." Kia sighed as she smiled. "Well, your place or mine?" Bakugou opened his door and gestured for her to go inside.
Kia walked in and removed her shoes before making her way to the couch. "You want anything to drink?" Bakugou asked as he grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen.
"I'd take a water too," Kia replied. Bakugou grabbed another bottle and handed it to her before sitting down himself. Kia took a sip of her drink before sinking back into her seat. "Do you remember what I've already told you?"
"Tch, of course," Bakugou rolled his eyes as he sat his water on the coffee table. "I want to know more about the berserker serum you were talking about."
"Yeah, that… well it sounds just like you would imagine. It is a drug used by underground traders. It is designed to boost a person's quirk, giving them more strength, speed, and what not. It also can inhibit a person's mental state. Making them react in a more primal way, mostly making them extremely aggressive," Kia informed her partner.
"So, they go berserk," Bakugou huffed in obviousness.
"Basically, there are a few different variations of the drug itself. Some make the affected person more manageable and some more violent. They were all developed to control a person," Kia said as she sat her water bottle next to his. "Damn thing can have some nasty side effects, but it seems like the victims of the recent drugging don't have them. I wonder if it might be someone else who is trying to come up with their own version of the berserker serum. That or maybe someone is just trying to cause a panic."
"How do you know so much about it?" Bakugou asked.
Kia frowned and glanced over at him before responding. "I've been dosed with it before."
"What?" Bakugou sat up in surprise.
"It wasn't a pleasant experience, and I don't remember everything." Kia explained. "The sample that we collected had almost the same exact scent. The one I was given only seemed to have extreme effects on people with an animal-based quirk."
"So, you are thinking that the drug that has been showing up comes from the same place as the drug that was used on you?" Bakugou said thoughtfully.
"Yes, but there is no evidence to support my theory." Kia sighed in frustration. "Maybe I'm just getting my hopes up that we can catch them. There are lots of drugs out there, some worse than others. The kidnappings also have me thinking that it all could be related."
"You mean the ones we stopped a while ago?" Bakugou asked, raising his brow.
"Maybe it is just a coincidence but to have all these similarities pop up in Japan this close together… it has me very suspicious."
"Tell me about your kidnapping again," Bakugou asked deep in thought.
"We were visiting my aunt who lived in a big city. We were sure that I was targeted directly because of my quirk. In the couple of days we were there, I saved my mom from some muggers. It was about a week later that I was taken. My mom and I were walking back to my aunt's house when we were grabbed. Everything happened so fast. I remember my mom yelling as everything went black. I'm not sure if I was drugged or just hit hard enough to knock me out. When I came to, I was in a cage with my hands and feet chained." Kia crossed her arms while she recalled the memory.
"Did you or that HTSA dude ever find more similarities between your kidnapping and the more recent ones?" Bakugou looked up at his partner.
"We did, although the timetables didn't match up with mine but in some way or another the victims' quirk had been made public." Kia frowned and scratched her head in frustration. "Ugh! My gut is telling me this is all related!" she sighed heavily.
"Then we will just keep looking. The bastard behind all of this will make a move and we will be there to end him." Bakugou fixed Kia with a determined look.
Kia smiled at her partner; she was always amazed at his tenacity. He had a way of giving those around him confidence, even if it was a little rough. "Hell, yeah we will!" It was funny how he could reassure her with just a look and a few words. Kia stretched her arms high over her head, leaning back over the couch as she let out a deep sigh. "I can't think of any other particulars to tell you. Do you have any more questions?" she asked.
Bakugou stared at her for a moment before answering. "Who gave you the drug? The people who kidnapped you or the guy the sold you too?"
"The guy they sold me to gave me the berserker serum and the kidnappers used a very powerful sedative," Kia answered and rubbed her arm nervously.
"Tch, so that's the difference. The kidnappers are working in the same way, but someone is using this damn drug too." Bakugou gritted his teeth in frustration.
"Yeah, it could be two different villains in that case." Kia shared her partner's frustration.
The two of them sat in silence for a minute. Bakugou studied his partner as she was deep in thought. "You can be comfortable around here," he said suddenly.
"What do you mean?" Kia asked startled out of her thoughts.
"Your wings. You said you are more comfortable with them out. There is enough room here." Bakugou gestured to his open living room. "It's not like I'm gonna get handsy." With that, he got up to throw away his empty water bottle in the kitchen.
Kia blinked in surprise as she watched him walk away. Making up her mind she stood up and took off her jacket. The shirt she had on underneath was designed to accommodate a wearer with wings and she stretched her wings pushing through the hidden slits in the back of her shirt. He said he didn't mind, Kia thought as she transformed a little further and her tail made a soft thud on the floor. With another stretch she folded her wings over the back of the couch and settled in a comfortable position.
Bakugou turned around, surprised to see she had transformed more than he had expected. Scales peppered her face and arms as she brushed a loose lock of hair behind her ear. As he walked back to the couch, her long tail moved so he had room to sit down. Kia was busy typing on her phone as he took his seat at the other end of the couch. Grabbing the remote, he turned on the TV but found himself studying his partner. She must have felt his gaze cause her green eyes met his. In the low light of his apartment, they almost seemed to glow.
"What?" Kia asked with a raised brow.
"No horns?" Bakugou asked before taking a drink of his water.
Kia let out a small laugh before closing her eyes and stretching her neck as a couple of silver horns twirled out of her hair. Bakugou noticed the matching claws at her fingertips and even more scales coated her skin, the deep purple fading to a pearl color at her neck and chest. "Is that better?" Kia grinned, showing her elongated fangs.
"You better not tear up my couch," Bakugou warned.
"Ha! Very funny," Kia laughed. She went back to typing on her cell phone, using the pads of her fingers to keep her claws off the screen. "You're staring," she said as she finished what she was doing.
"Who the hell wouldn't?" Bakugou replied. He really couldn't pretend like he hadn't been studying her.
"I can change back; most people find this form unnerving and scary." Kia turned to face her partner, adjusting her wings and tail.
"No," Bakugou continued to stare.
"No?"
"You're not scary," Bakugou said.
Kia noticed him studying her horns. "You might as well get it out of your system," she sighed as she scooted over next to him.
"What the hell?!" Bakugou started at her sudden move, she was so close. "You're too fucking close Sunshine."
"Well, if you are going to stare at me and make me uneasy…" Kia said as she reached for his hand. "Might as well make you uneasy too." With that she grabbed his hand and placed it on her head at the base of one of her horns.
Bakugou forgot his complaint as he felt the rough and smooth texture under his fingers. Her silver horns looked like they had been sculpted using rings of silver stacked and curled in a loose spiral. They looked like they would be cool to the touch, but they were warm. A small hum had him looking back at Kia. Her green eyes flashed as he let go of her horn to brush the scales across her cheek before moving down her chin. Without realizing what he was doing he gently rubbed his thumb over her lips, pulling her bottom one down just enough to see the razor points of her canines. Kia's eyes were locked onto his, drinking in the expression on his face. Slightly she opened her mouth to expose her fangs. Bakugou touched one of the sharp points and Kia reached up to grab his hand. This brought Bakugou out of his curious trance and his eyes locked with Kia's. She began to lean forward when the loud ring of her phone scared them both.
"Shit!" Kia cursed as she scrambled away from her partner and grabbed her phone to answer it.
Bakugou remained frozen where he sat on the couch. What the hell was I doing? he internally cursed himself. His heart was hammering in his chest. After telling he I wouldn't get handsy what the fuck do I go and do?! He glanced over to where Kia was on the phone. He wasn't sure but he could swear her face was flushed.
"Yes, sir, I'll be there," Kia said before ending the call.
"What was that?" Bakugou asked as Kia flopped back down on the couch.
"I almost forgot that I have a photo shoot tomorrow." She rubbed her eyes. "I had promised Jeanist I would do it a while ago but with everything that has been going on I spaced it." Kia held her phone up and tapped the screen to check the time. "I should get to bed; I'll be shooting early in the morning so you will have to do without me for most of the day." Kia looked up at him but Bakugou couldn't find any words. He was still reeling from what was happening before the phone call, so he just nodded. The awkward tension between them had them both shifting uncomfortably where they sat.
"Well… I'll talk to you later," Kia smiled before getting up and heading to the balcony door.
"Yeah, later," Bakugou muttered as the door slid shut. He continued to sit there in a daze for a while after Kia left. "What the hell!" he cursed as he covered his face with one hand.